Railway signaling apparatus



E. H. MEDEN. RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JU'LY 33, 1918.

Patented Nov. 21, 192

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

llVVE/VTOR v A TTORIVEY E. H. MEDEN.

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY 13,1918. 211

A 1101mm 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. MG: 5

FIGEZ Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

UlED STATE CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

i i? r E,

BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, (70., INCL, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A

Adi

RAILWAY SIGNALING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 13,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELOF H. MnnnN, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing in the city of Elizabeth, county of Union, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway Signaling Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

In order that a railway signaling apparatus should be entirely satisfactory, it is necessary that it should comprise means whereby the greatest degree of safety is provided and it is also desirable and necessary that the apparatus should operate with both certainty and efiiciency.

Broadly speaking, it isthe object of my invention to provide an apparatus having these characteristics, the results sought being accomplished. by providing means where by normally a danger signal is displayed, which is changed only when the track ahead is clear for an approaching train or when caution should be observed by the engineer of an approaching train. In the latter case, a caution signal and in the former a clear signal is displayed.

A further object of my invention is to provide means for producing a plurality of colored lights, one light only being displayed at'a time, automatically, the light displayed being dependent upon track condition A further object of my invention is to provide a railway signal lighting apparatus or system comprising at intervals therein re neWa-ble sources of illuminating gas supply for supplying gas to the signal lightburners.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be pointed out in the detailed description thereof which follows or will be apparent from such description.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the details of construction shown, but is capable of embodiment in wide variations and modifications of structure.

In order that my invention may be more readily understood and its practical advan-. tages more fully appreciated, reference should be had to the accompanying draw? ings, in which, c 7

Fig. 1 is a view showing diagrammatically a portion of railway track, track circuits and signaling means actuated and controlled dicated symbolically at 2, '2 and 2".

1918. Serial No. 244,683.

thereby, constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation, showing in detall a construction of signal light apparatus embodying my invention Fig. 3 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 2, showing a modified construction of apparatus embodying my invention; and

Fig. 4 1s a vertical sectional view of an electromagnet construction interposed in the gas supply conduit,

In the drawings'z l designates a railway track over which pass'railway trains, etc., in-

3 des ignates'the batteries of track circuits, including sections of the rails and the wires 4 and 5, each of the said circuits including electro-magnets 6. The sections of the rails referred to are included between the transverse heavy lines 7. These electro-magnets actuate and control armatures 10, 11 and 12, there being one set of armatures and one track circuit and an electro-magnet for each section of railway track intermediate the said heavy lines 7. These armatures, 10, 11 and 12, constitute and form parts of the signal control circuits which extend through signal controlling electro-magnets 15 and 16, the energizing and de-energizing of which control the signal lights, said lights being indicated diagrammatically at 17, 17 17", 17, and 17 in Fig. 1. The solid cross-lines 17 at the left hand side of Fig. 1 indicate that the caution signal light is operating, while the solid cross-lir'iesl? in the second, fourth and fifth group of signal lights indicate that the danger signal light is in operation, while the solid cross-lines 17- in the central group of signal lights, indicate that the track ahead for the car or train 2 is clear. The solid cross-lines 17 indicate that in view of the presence of the car or train 2 in the second section beyond that in which thecar or train 2 is located, the engineer of the latter should move with caution.

20. designates storage batteries, there being shown one battery for each of the sectionsof track above referred to intermediate the heavy black lines 7 These batteries furnish the current for the-circuits including the electronagnets 15 and 16 above referred to, and it is the passage of current through these circuits that controls these magnets, the controlling of which also controls the light signals which are produced, as will more fully and clearly appear from the detailed description of Figs. 2,3 and at ofthe drawings which follows.

Tracing the current through the circuits controlling the signal 17", it will be found to travel through the line 21, the armature 10, line 22, ground line 23, line 24:, armature 11 (at the right hand side of Fig. 1), line 25, armature 12 (in the fourth group of armatures from the left in Fig. 1), line 26, through the eleotrounagnet 16 and line 27 to battery 20. p L 1 It will also be noted that the circuit passes through the line 21, armature 10, line 22, ground. line 23, line 28,-, armature 11 .(in the fourth group of arm at-ures count ing from the left in Fig. 1), line 29, electro magnet 15 and line 27 to the battery 20.

It will thus be seen that when the signal is shown in clear position as at 17* in the central group of signal lights, both of the electro-Inagnets 15 and 16 are energized. When the caution signal is shown as at 17 in Fig. 1, only the electro ina'gnet 15 is energized. This may be seen or demonstrated by tracing the circuitjtrom the battery 20, shown at the left hand side of Fig. 1

ormailly, that is when there are no trains, engines or cars upon the track and also when there is danger ahead upon the track the danger signal is displayed. At such time neither of the electro-inagne-ts 15 or 16 is energized in consequence of which, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, gas is permitted to flow continuously or at intervals as may be preferred to the burner for the danger signal light. When elec-- tro-magne't'lii is energized the flow oi. gas

, to the burner for-displaying the danger signal is interrupted, so that such signal is no longer displayed and simultaneously flow oi gas to the next burner is permitted, which upon ignition causes a display of the caution signal. l Vhen both electroniagnets 15 and 16 are energized, the flow of gas to the burner for displaying the danger signal and also to the burner for displaying the caution signal is interrupted, but is permitted to flow to the burner for displaying the clear signal,

so that in the event of energization of both clectro-magnets 1.5 and 16 the clear signal is displayed. In other words, normally the signal indicates danger and it is only when a train, engine or the like is approaching and when the track ahead is clear that the signal device moves into the clear position indicating thatthe train may proceed rapidly and without caution. In case, however, there should be two trains inpositions such as the trains 2 and 2 in Fig. 1., said trains being separated by an intervening section such as is indicated between the l'ines 7, 7 previously referred to, the caution signal light is caused to be dis played. On the other hand, should there be a train such as that indicated by the dotted lines at 31 in Fig. 1 in the section of track adjacent to that on which the train at 2 is located, the danger signal would continue to be displayed; that is, the signal apparatus would continue to display a red light, as indicated by the dotted crosslines at 31 in Fig. 1. This can be seen readily by tracing the'circuit i rom the battery 20 at the left hand side of Fig. 1 and assuming that a train, engine, etc. isin a 7 position indicated by dotted lines 31 in Fig. 1, in which case the track circuit will be short circuited so that the electro-magnet 6 would be Clo-energized, permitting the armatures 10, 11 and 12 in the second group of armatures counting. from the left of Fig. 1 to drop or fall so as to permit the armature 10 to fall or move intoposition against contact 32, while at the same time permitting the armatures 11 and. 12 to fall or move away from the contacts 33 and 3st.

The circuits and their general. operation having been described, I shall now proceed with a description of the subsequent F igs. of the drawings, in which I-have illustrated a concrete embodiment of apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention.

For the purpose of supporting the signal lights, casings for the same, portions of the signal light controlling means, etc, I have provided posts 10 which are situated at intervals along. the track. 4

It is my purpose to employ gas lights in producing the light signal. This being the case, it is necessary to provide a source or sources of gas supply. In the construction as illustrated and as at present preferred by me, I provide renewable sources of gas supply comprising containers. il, containing gas under compression, which gas may be supplied as necessary and as required to the signal light, burners to be hereinafter referred to more in detail. Preferably one container is provided. for each group of sig nal light burners and each container is adapted to. carry a supply of gas suflicient to produce operation of the signal for extended periods. 7 One of the containers 11 is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and is held removably in position as indicated in said Fig. by removable or detachable straps 41". The said containeris detachably connected at 41 with a conduit 12 through which gas is supplied to the burners. 413 designates a 7 shown, there are two o1 these electro-inag.

netically controlled valve; constructions, associated with each group of signal lights.

The gas s admitted first tothe lowermost of; the said electro-magnetically controlled valve devices 48 from the pipe or gas conduit 42. The latter communicates with a passage 50, formed in whatmay be termed or described as the base portion 51 of'the'said device 48. The passage 50'communicates with passageways 52 and 53, the former leading to the second of the devices 48.

The base portion 51 of the devices 48 (the several devices 48 shown in Figs. 2 and 3 being identical in construction) is provided with a depression 54 at its inner central portion in which is situated an electro-inagnetically controlled valve 55, which operates to close either the passageway 52 or 53 depending upon the conditionof the electro magnet 58, by means of which the said valve 55 is controlled. Normally the valve 55 occupies a position to close the passageway 52. hen in this position the passageway 50 is in communication with the passageway 53 through the core 60, the latter passagewaybeing in communication with a pipe 61, through. which gas is supplied to burner 45. Said burner is situated in the rear of a red colored lens 62. The burner 45 is active at all times except when the electro-magnet 58 is energized. However, it will be understood that preferably a flasher device such as is shown at 63 in Fig. 3 of the drawings, may be employed in order to render the operation of the apparatus more economical. Further reference will he made to this flasher device later on in this specification.

It will be understood that the electromagnets 48 shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings correspond with the electro-magnets l5 and 16 comprised in the diagrammatically illustrated apparatus as shown in Fig. 1.

In case the trains, engines, etc. should be in positions as indicated by the reference numbers 2 and 2 in Fig. 1 of the drawin s, it is apparent that the caution signal ShOLl ld be displayed. When the trains are in this position, and as has been described pre viously, the lower of the two electro-magnets (corresponding to the electro-magnet 15 in Fig. 1) becomes energized, with the result that the valve 55 is lifted from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4 into position to close the passageway 53 and simultaneously open the passageway 52, thus putting the passageway 50 into communication with the latter. The gas may then pass through the passageways 50 and 52 to the pipe 64. which is in communication with the upper one of the devices 48, shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the construction of which is in all respects the same as is illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, so that the gas which passes from the pipe 64 into the upper of said devices is conducted through passageways 50 and 53 to a pipe 65, leading to the burner 46, which is situated in the rear of the yellow colored condensing lens 66. It will be seen that the flame or light of burner 45 has been extinguished and that the burner 46 has been lit or ignited.

Should it he that the track in front of the train indicated at 2 is clear, the electro-magnet in each of the devices 48. shown in F igs. 2 and 3,would he energized, as previously pointed out, with. the result that the valve 55 in the uppermost as well as in the lowermost of said devices shown in bothFigs. 2 and 3, would be moved into position to close the passageway 53, thus preventing the passage of gas into the pipe 65. Such movement, as already described, would putthe passage way 50 in communication with th passageway 52, so that the gas would pass through the upper of the devices 48 into the pipe 67 leading to the uppermost burner 47 situated in the rear oi the uppermost green colored condensing lens 68.

Constantly burning or lighted pilot burners 69 are provided for igniting the gas as it issues from the burners 45, 46 and 47. The pilot burners 69 are supplied with gas from a pipe 70 having connection in Fig. 2 at 71 with the lowermost of the devices 48 therein.

In Fig. 3. the pipe 70 instead of being connected with the lowermost of the devices 48 is connected with the gas pipe or conduit 42 at a point preceding the connection of the latter with the flasher device 63, the latter being of any known construction.

From the flasher device the is supplied at intervals through the pipe 7 5 to the lowermost of the devices 48. The flasher device 63 is not illustrated in further detail because such devices, as above indicated, are old and are at present in quite general commercial use.

In Fig. 2. as previously described, the gas pipe or conduit 42 is connected directly with the lowermost of the devices 48, while as shown in Fig. 3 the said conduit is first connected with the flasher device 63.

In both Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown What may be described or defined as a hood 80, which surrounds the lenses 62, 66 and 68,

order to darken the same so that they may be more readily and clearly distinguishable in daylight. In the brighter portions 01" the day, that is, the portions nearer noontiine when the sun is nearer to or in a vertical position in theheavens, the rays therefrom wilistrike the hood 8O andthe latter will cast a shadow over the face or the lenses and the frames surrounding the same, as stated. y

In View of the forms of construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3, I have provided a casing 81 for inclosing the operative parts of the structure as illustrated in said Figs. I The lower portion of the casing in F 3 is somewhat enlarged in order to enable it to receive and hold the flasher device 63 in addition to the parts which are contained in the casing shown in Fig. 2. p

In both Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the lowermost devices 48 are supported upon the bottoms of the casings 81, while the upper of said devices are supported upon projecting flange-like portions 82 which extend inwardly from a side wall thereof as is clearly shown. Obviously, however, these devices l8 may be supported at any convenient point and in any suitable manner withinthe casings or in operative relation to the burners.

"This application is a continuation in part of myapplications for patents filed January et, 1917 and February 15, 1918 respectively and bearing SerialNos; 140,554-and 217,299

respectively. a '1' a I claim:

ers and normally being in position to permit the flow of gasito one of said burners to display a danger signal, controllable circuits within which the valve magnets are included, said circuits being unaffected'by gas movements, meansrwhereby said circuits are controlled by train movements over a track associated with said apparatus, the construe tion and arrangementof the parts beingsuoh that magnet activity to close the gas supply of the burner to which gas normally is being suppliedwill be provided upon change in conditions of the controllable circuit and to simultaneously open the gas supply to one of the other main burners.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 29th da of June, A. D. 11918.

a v *LOF H. MEDEN'; 

